For the past few months, we have been subjected to quite a lot of Lonzo’s father on our TVs and across the internet making outrageous claims ranging from being able to beat Michael Jordan one-on-one to saying his son would be a Laker before the ping pong balls even had a chance to fall where they did.

Love him or hate him, LaVar has a lot to say, while Lonzo has remained mostly silent. But with the NBA Draft Father’s Day coming up, Lonzo’s letter walks the fine line between the LaVar we see and the one Lonzo has grown up with:

“One of the things I admire most about you is that you don’t really care what other people think. People can have whatever opinions they want about who you are as a person, but they’ll never have all the facts. They’ll never know you like I do.”

“When I was in middle school, I started dreaming of one day making it to the NBA. I wanted to be a point guard, just like Magic Johnson. You agreed to show me how to get there. You made your living training athletes — you still do — so I put my trust in you. And in return, you made me put in the work.

I still have your schedule ingrained in my mind. I probably always will.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday we did weights.

Tuesday and Thursday we did pull-ups.

Then there was the hill. Oh man, that hill.

Every day, no matter what, you’d take LiAngelo and LaMelo and me around the corner from our house in Chino to run up and down that hill in the heat before bringing us back home to do sit-ups.”

First of all, great name check of Magic there. Second, Lonzo might be thanking his dad for all the condition and rigorous work ethic he instilled but it’s clear he’s really learned how to get his message out to control the narrative.

Lonzo Ball talks about his dad, his favorite sneakers and meeting Kobe in an exclusive Q&A. https://t.co/7BgOplbDlu

No doubt LaVar had some hand in Lonzo being a great basketball player but let’s be honest much of that was likely God-given. LaVar has in the months leading up to the draft laid a blueprint for his son on how to get his point across. And now Lonzo’s doing the same in his own way.

He may not be as outspoken as his dad but make no mistake, Lonzo is his father’s son and this letter is as much a statement to NBA teams as it is to LaVar.